Page 59

Evelyn’s breath caught. Then, with one quick smile, clearly meant for one pair of eyes, Jo stepped back from the mic and hopped down from the stage, as if she hadn’t just filled Evelyn’s heart with an unbelievable amount of joy. Around her, the clapping rose like a tide, but Evelyn stood still and knew that whatever unfolded ahead of them, she and Jo would find a way to work it out.

Epilogue

The hydraulic lift hissed as it lowered the silver Toyota back to the garage floor. Jo crouched beside it, checking the torque on the lug nuts one last time. “All right, she’s good,” she said, standing and giving the hood a firm pat. “Tell Mrs. Thompson she can stop worrying about her brakes squealing.”

From the other side of the car, Mica wiped her hands on a rag, raising an eyebrow. “You sure you don’t want to double-check the oil again?” she asked. “Maybe change the wiper blades? Stay a little longer?”

Jo snorted a laugh. “Very funny,” she said. “And no, I don’t.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mica said with a wide grin. “What’s the rush?”

Pointing a finger at her best friend, Jo shook her head. “You know exactly what,” she said. “I want to make sure I don’t smell like brake fluid when I go pick up my girlfriend from the airport.”

“Ooh, girlfriend now,” Mica said, waggling her brows. “Six months of FaceTiming and weekend rendezvous, and suddenly you’re all soft.”

Trying to act irritated, but failing because she knew Mica was right, Jo shot her a look. “I’m not soft.”

“Lies,” Mica said, coming around the car. “You’ve been a disaster since she left. A happy, weirdly productive disaster, but still.”

Jo didn’t deny it. The last six months had been... different. In a good way. She hadn’t gone toSapphiremore than a few times, and even then, only to show her face or meet up with Mica. No flirting, no dancing, no casual anything. She hadn’t wanted it.

Instead, most of her free time had been filled with Evelyn. FaceTime calls at all hours, some sweet and some red hot. Weekend visits whenever Evelyn wasn’t located too far away. Jo spent a lot of time learning to enjoy things Evelyn liked, such as hiking on beautiful forest trails and quiet dinners in small towns. In return, Evelyn always tried to find something to do on the weekends they were together that Jo would enjoy, like beer tasting at a local brewery or visiting an antique car museum. All in all, Jo was happy, even under the less-than-optimal circumstances.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. Just over two hours until Evelyn’s flight from Sacramento landed. “I still need to shower and change,” Jo muttered, more to herself than to Mica. “And I’ve gotta get across town before traffic hits.”

“Then you better get going,” Mica said, clapping Jo on the shoulder. “Don’t forget to breathe and maybe eat something before you faint from excitement.”

“Thanks, Mica,” Jo said with a smile. “And I appreciate you closing up.”

Mica shrugged. “That’s what friends are for,” she said. “Now go get your lady, Casanova.”

Jo chuckled, but as she stepped into the back room, her chest filled with a quiet anticipation. Evelyn was coming home.For good this time, she thought.No more weekends cut short, no more kisses over FaceTime. Just us. Slipping on her leatherjacket, she smiled.And I can’t wait to show her what I’ve been working on.

Pulling her carry-on through PDX’s arrivals terminal, Evelyn walked through the milling crowds, eager to get to her destination. She tightened her grip on the handle, her heart fluttering with something that was nerves and joy all tangled together. Six months. That’s how long it had been since she started the work assignment she had always dreamed of. Six months of airports and hotel rooms, of spreadsheets in conference centers and muddy boots at field sites. Six months of FaceTime calls with Jo that started with “miss you” and ended with “soon.” Soon had finally arrived.

Feeling a buzz in her jacket pocket, Evelyn glanced at her phone. A text from Jasmine lit up the screen. “WELCOME HOME! We ALL missed you. Plants included.”

Evelyn smiled and typed back a quick note. “Thanks. I can’t wait to see ALL of you. Then she tucked the phone into her coat pocket and scanned the waiting area ahead. And there she was. Jo stood near the edge of the crowd, wearing a fitted black shirt that absolutely did not belong to any casual mechanic. Her leather jacket hung over one shoulder, her hair slightly tousled in that way Evelyn had always adored. She looked calm, confident, and impossibly good. Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat.

Slowly, Jo’s eyes met hers, and the smile that spread across her face was slow and warm and full of everything Evelyn had missed. Without thinking, Evelyn closed the distance between them, her carry-on forgotten for a second as she stepped into Jo’s arms. Jo caught her easily, wrapping her in a hug. “Hey, stranger,” Jo murmured into her hair. “Do I know you?”

Evelyn laughed, pulling back enough to see her face. “Maybe a little.”

“That makes me pretty lucky then,” Jo said a moment before kissing Evelyn. The kiss was soft and sure, and Evelyn felt something inside her loosen. The tension of travel, of months away, of wondering if things would feel different when she came back.They will be different,she thought.But in the very best way.

Jo took the handle of her suitcase, and they headed for the parking garage. “You look good,” Evelyn said, bumping Jo’s shoulder affectionately.

“I feel good,” Jo replied as they walked across the skybridge. “Better now.”

As they passed the rows of cars, Jo stopped. Evelyn expected to see the GTO parked there, but instead, her eyes landed on something else entirely. The Mustang. Fully restored. It gleamed in the soft light with its cherry-red paint polished to a high shine. The lines were sleek, classic, and proud. The car looked like it had rolled straight off a movie set. Evelyn gasped. “Jo…”

Jo smiled. “Surprise.”

“You finished it,” Evelyn said, walking slowly around the front. “It’s so beautiful.”

“I had time,” Jo said with a shrug, though her voice was thick with pride. “And I figured you deserved a proper ride home.”

Evelyn turned to face her. “And this is what you did while I was gone?”